Highlights of Year End Review 2018 - Department of Youth Affairs (Ministry Of Youth Affairs & Sports)

What are the key schemes under the Department?

The Schemes of the Department of Youth Affairs have been consolidated and restructured into 3 compact schemes.
These are:

Eight Schemes are merged into a new ‘umbrella’ Scheme called Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram (RYSK).
National Service Scheme (NSS)
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD)

What are the major programmes under RYSK?

Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) - NYKS is working to develop the personality of the youth and to engage them in nation-building activities.
NYKS has about 36 lakh youth enrolled through 1.6 lakh youth clubs. The activities involving youth volunteers of NYKS include -

saplings planting, blood donations, basic vocations and soft skills programmes
Youth Club Development Programmes, Sports Meets at Block level, District Youth Conventions
Programmes to celebrate days of national and international significance - International Day of Yoga on 21st June 2018, National Unity Day and Run for Unity Programme
Swachhta Programme for cleaning Schools, colleges, Hospitals and statues
Water Conservation - awareness creation programmes, creation of new water bodies, maintenance of water sources
Indradhanush Programme - children were immunized with the help of service providers
Swachta Hi Sewa Campaign in East Champaran - Cleaning of Moti Jheel, Cleanliness drive to clean streets, Railway Station and common places
Clean Ganga:

NYKS is working with National Mission for Clean Ganga to spread awareness for cleanliness & sanitation in villages along Ganga River
Ganga Vriksharopan Saptah (Plantation Week) in selected blocks of 4 States of Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar and West Bengal
sapling planting in collaboration with Forest Department and National Mission for Clean Ganga

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat is being organized in Inter State Youth Exchange Programme in 15 pairing States
NYKS was the major partner for implementation of Rashtriya Poshan Abhiyan Programme on nutrition
NYKS has organised various programmes for Parakram Parv, 2018 to mark the Second Anniversary of Surgical Strikes
Participation in Health Mela by NYKS volunteers

International Cooperation - The Department of Youth Affairs seeks to operate international Youth exchange programmes with various countries.
Exchanges between Youth Delegations were organised with Nepal, Tunisia, China, Argentina, S.Korea, and Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka.
Besides, Indian youth delegation has been at S.Africa for BRICS Youth Summit and Cambodia for 2nd International Youth Education and Cultural Festival.

National Programme for Youth and Adolescent Development (NPYAD) - This, along with other Schemes of the Ministry has been merged into one ‘Umbrella Scheme’, the RYSK.
It supports Government/non-Government organisations for undertaking activities for development of adolescent and youth.
Also, Youth Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, North East Youth Festival are also held under this.

What are the key activities under NSS?

National Service Scheme has about 4.13 million student youth spread over Universities, Colleges, Technical Institutions and Senior Secondary Schools across the country.
NSS has been working for development of personality and character of youth through voluntary community service.
Some significant initiatives/ achievements of NSS during the year are as follows:

NSS has been restructured as a Central Sector Scheme with effect from 1.4.2016
NSS Volunteers are also participating in Swachh Bharat Mission activities, International Day of Yoga, etc
Participations include - health/eye/Immunization camps, Training on Self -Defence, awareness on GST and Digital payments,

What role has RGNIYD played?

Training/capacity building/ workshop, conference and other programmes were organized with RGNIYD.
It covered NSS Officers, NYKS Officials, Faculty/ Teachers, Officials from State Govt. industries department & executives from NGOs etc.
ToT (Training of Trainers) programmes were also organized for NYKS, and other officials of NSS were trained.
RGNIYD also recently brought out the India Youth Development Index and Report - 2017.
RGNIYD is mandated to disseminate youth related information among the key stakeholders.
Accordingly, three Regional Dissemination Workshops on India Youth Development Index, besides other training programmes, were organised for the key stakeholders.
RGNIYD also facilitated other international programmes including

Maldivian Youth Delegation Visit
Sri Lanka Youth Exchange Delegation Visit to RGNIYD
International Youth Exchange Programme between India-Sri Lanka
Entrepreneurship and Rural Development - An exposure visit for delegates from 19 Countries
National Conference on Gender and Development

Besides, RGNIYD has funded 18 Major Research Projects and 8 Minor Research Projects to the various Universities/Institutes.

Source: PIB